College football · Venue guide

    BYU stadium elevation

    LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo and what thin air really means.

    By OverUnderWeather Research Desk · Sources checked 29 October 2026

    BYU plays roughly 4,600–4,700 feet above sea level. The useful answer is a range, not a falsely precise number: BYU’s local reference and an elevation lookup at the stadium describe different points.

    How high is LaVell Edwards Stadium?

    ReferenceElevationWhat it measures
    BYU quick facts4,553 ftUniversity information for Provo; not labelled as the field.
    Stadium terrain lookup1,425 m
    ≈4,675 ft    		A terrain-grid estimate at 40.2575° N, 111.6549° W; not a field survey.

    The lookup uses Open-Meteo’s Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation service. A grid cell cannot resolve every feature inside a stadium bowl. We have not verified a surveyed playing-field elevation, so we do not present 4,675 feet as an official BYU specification.

    There is another reason to distinguish the field from its surroundings: BYU says the playing field was lowered 8 feet in 1982. That historical change is not an adjustment we subtract from a modern terrain grid.

    How much thinner is the air?

    At a rounded 1,400 metres, close to BYU’s setting, NASA’s reference-atmosphere equations give air density about 87% of the sea-level value—roughly 13% lower. Pressure is about 85% of the sea-level reference.

    13% less dense

    Illustrative reference atmosphere at 1,400 m—not a kickoff measurement and not a 13% increase in kick distance.

    Lower density reduces aerodynamic drag for the same ball speed and shape. But it also changes lift, and the actual flight depends on launch angle, spin, temperature and wind. These equations cannot tell you that a BYU field goal travels a particular number of yards farther.

    The calculation uses NASA Glenn’s metric troposphere curve fits, comparing 1,400 m with 0 m. Its temperature profile is a model assumption, not a prediction that Provo must be colder by a fixed amount on game day.

    Does that give BYU an altitude advantage?

    It is plausible venue context, not a proven BYU edge. Lower pressure means lower oxygen partial pressure; the oxygen fraction of the air remains approximately the same. How much that matters to a visiting football team depends on its usual elevation, acclimatisation and the demands of play.

    A team-sport altitude position statement discusses acclimatisation and performance, but it does not establish a BYU-specific points or win-rate effect. This guide contains no new game-results analysis, no against-the-spread backtest and no independent reviewer claim.

    To isolate a home-field effect, a study would need to account for BYU’s quality, opponent strength, season, travel and weather—not just count home wins and credit the mountains.

    Before a BYU home game

    Elevation stays put. Wind, temperature and precipitation do not. For a kicking or passing read, check the stadium forecast at kickoff rather than using altitude alone to change your view of a game.

    LaVell Edwards Stadium weather

    Frequently asked

    What is the elevation of BYU’s football stadium?

    LaVell Edwards Stadium is roughly 4,600–4,700 feet above sea level. A terrain-grid lookup at the stadium gives 1,425 metres (about 4,675 feet), not a surveyed playing-field height. BYU’s quick facts separately list 4,553 feet under university information for Provo.

    Does BYU have an altitude advantage?

    Altitude changes air pressure and ball-flight conditions, but this guide does not establish a BYU-specific scoring, win-rate or betting advantage. That would require an opponent- and team-strength-adjusted study.

    Why do sources give different elevations for BYU?

    A city or campus reference, a terrain-grid estimate and the playing field are different measurement points. BYU also documents lowering the field eight feet in its 1982 renovation. Small differences should not be treated as evidence of different football effects.

    Sources and scope